Fortune Favors The Brave
by coveryoureyes
Summary: Kennedy Martin was loving her life at boarding school as far away from Beacon Hills as possible - at least until she was turned into a werewolf against her will. After coming back to Beacon Hills, Ken discovered that her twin was already involved with the supernatural. And as an Alpha, Ken was going to do everything she could to protect her family and friends. Stydia and Isaac/OC
1. Chapter 1

Kennedy drummed her fingers along the wooden table she sat at and stared at the bottom of her coffee cup. It had been empty for half an hour but she hadn't left the late night cafe, instead trying to gather the courage to go to her house. She had asked the taxi driver to stop in the middle of town instead of her actual address, hoping to put it off for a little bit longer even though it was nearly midnight.

All she had with her was a small shoulder bag with her IDs, some make up, her phone, her laptop, and a granola bar inside and a small black duffel bag with enough clothes to last her the week. The rest of her belongings were being shipped across the country, and would hopefully arrive by the end of the week.

Pushing her chair back with an ear-splitting screech, she let out a long sigh before finally standing and throwing her bag over her shoulder. Picking up her duffel with her other hand, she left the café and reluctantly walked to the corner of the sidewalk, beginning to head home.

The walk from the town center to her house was only fifteen minutes. That was Beacon Hills for you. Tiny. Isolated. Occasionally her personal hell.

Kennedy had taken ten steps before she paused and looked down at her feet. Four inch heeled boots were probably not the best choice for walking on old, uneven pavement. But damn, they made her legs look fantastic, so she couldn't really regret it.

Besides, it wasn't like she could get blisters anymore.

She pulled out her phone from her bag, a little bit bored and looking for a distraction, and scrolled through her contacts aimlessly. She'd cut off every friend she'd had at her North Carolina boarding school after what happened over the summer in Rhode Island, so the number of people she could talk to had been reduced to a handful. When she focused once again on her screen and saw the name she'd stopped at she felt a too-wide, stupid grin cover her face and she immediately pressed down on the call button.

The phone rang seven times, and just when she thought she'd have to leave a message, her call was answered.

A sleepy, gravelly voice answered with a slow, "hello?"

"G-Man! Are you busy tomorrow night?" she sang into the phone.

"Ugh, tone it down. Some people are trying to – wait, holy shit. Ken, are you telling me you're near Beacon Hills?"

"Mhmmmm."

"What are you doing back?! I thought I wouldn't see you until Thanksgiving break."

In a casual tone she replied, "I decided I needed some more Stiles time. And to start at a private school in Beacon Hills as a junior in three days."

"Are you – are you serious? That's –" A loud thump interrupted whatever it was Stiles was going to say, and Kennedy could make out the sound of sheets rustling.

Stiles let out a string of curses while she waited patiently, used to his spastic tendencies.

Breathing a bit more heavily, he resumed his questioning with a sharper tone. "You're not messing with me, are you? That'd be a dick move, dude."

"Aw, would I do that to you? The light of my life, my very closest friend, my non-sexual soul mate?"

There was no hesitation. "Yes."

She let out an exaggerated sigh. "Such little faith. So, back to the point. Are you free tomorrow night?"

"Absolutely. I'm hanging with Scott in the morning, but I'm free in the afternoon. I'll swing by around four and pick you up. Are we thinking junk food, an overly-competitive Mario Kart tournament, and a Buffy marathon at my house?"

"Obviously."

They both laughed, but Stiles quieted after a couple of seconds. In a softer tone he said, "I really did miss you."

She felt her throat tighten as she tried and failed to take on a lighter tone when she replied, "Me too, buddy."

"Bye Ken, see you soon."

"Bye G-Man."

Kennedy was shocked by the sheer rush of joy she felt at the prospect of hanging out with her best friend. She wasn't close to very many people, always more comfortable alone than having to keep up any pretense or front around others. While she wasn't dripping angst or anything, Kennedy wasn't usually a ball of sunshine and rainbows. Stiles was one of a handful of people in the world she showed her immature, carefree side to. The full force of how much she'd missed acting like a teenager, acting like she didn't have a shitstorm of problems, rained down on her.

Kennedy paused and attempted to calm her breathing and erratic heart. After a few deep breaths, she began to walk once again, turning onto her street. As she neared her house, she focused on the heartbeats inside and heard one person sleeping while one remained awake. Immediately she felt guilty for avoiding the house, knowing her mom was waiting up for her.

She strode up to the front door and steeled herself before knocking loudly three times. The sound of feet rushing from the kitchen increased her anxiety, but as soon as the door opened she felt nearly all her tension leave her.

"Kenny! How was your trip? I'm so glad you finally made it! I was worried you'd missed your flight."

"Nah, it was fine, Mom. Happy to be back."

Her mother pulled her into a loose hug and hurried her inside.

"I know it's late sweetie, so you should probably get some rest, but you should go say hi to your sister first. I didn't tell her you were coming home to start school here, I wanted it to be a surprise. She'll be so happy to see you!"

Her entire body froze. She knew for a fact her sister would not be _so happy._ This was going to be an absolute clusterfuck. However, Kennedy's panic only lasted for a moment before a twisted amusement settled in.

Seeing her sister's face was going to be a beautiful, beautiful moment. She was fairly sure that the announcement after eighth grade that she was going to boarding school on the other side of the country was the best day of her sister's life.

She leaned in once more to give her mom a quick hug before faking a yawn. "I think you're right. I'll put my stuff in my room then drop in for a second to let her know I'm here."

"Alright. Night hon, I'll see you in the morning."

"Night Mom."

She made her across the hall to her room and felt genuine happiness as she took it in. Though she was barely ever home, it was kept in pristine condition, just like she remembered. Tossing her stuff onto her bed, Kennedy took the stairs two at a time and stood in front of her sister's door seconds later.

Opening it widely, she flicked on the light and knocked loudly against the doorframe with a smirk. Vaulting upright, the figure under the covers groaned out a quiet "what the hell" before pushing back the silk eye mask.

Lydia's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in an expression of absolute horror. She quickly schooled her features into a mask of calm distain. However, Kennedy could hear her heart racing and could smell the dismay radiating off of her.

"What are you doing here, Kennedy?"

Smiling sarcastically she said in a slow drawl, "I've decided to try out the whole 'Beacon Hills' shtick," her smiled grew as she continued pleasantly, "Besides, I've missed you, Twinny."


	2. Chapter 2

Without waiting for a response from Lydia, Kennedy flicked the light back off and swung the door closed. Walking back down the stairs she hummed to herself, entirely satisfied with how the encounter had played out. When she entered her room she looked at the duffel and bag she'd throw onto her bed and immediately decided that she wasn't motivated enough to unpack. Instead she simply moved the stuff onto the carpet right next to the door. Rifling around in her duffel and ruining her carefully folded clothing, she pulled out a pair of sweatpants and an old t-shirt with her boarding school's mascot from the bottom of her bag.

She changed quickly, tossing her dirty clothes in the hamper and burying herself under her many blankets. Pillows covered nearly her entire bed, and she spent minutes arranging them so they fully encased her. She snuggled down and stared up at her ceiling, where glow in the dark stars were arranged into accurate constellations. In the fourth grade she'd put them up there, and when Lydia saw them she had insisted they were stupid and childish. That day she had moved into what had previously been the guest room on the second floor, forcing Kennedy to fall asleep without her fraternal twin's breathing for the first time since birth.

It wasn't exactly shocking, actually, now that they knew Lydia was a genius and immensely smarter than Kennedy. But while staring up at her ceiling, it hit her that she was really back in Beacon Hills, and she was there to stay.

Her breathing became shallow as absolute panic swallowed her whole, and she felt frantic. Clenching her eyes shut, she curled her hands into tight fists and tried to think about something else. Anything else. She tried to focus on her mom and Lydia's heartbeats, hoping they would remind her that what she had done was worth it. That what happened in Rhode Island had been the right choice.

Instead of calming her down, it only caused her anxiety to increase and a clenching sensation to hit her chest, just behind her sternum.

The pricks of pain on her palms caused her to look down, and she saw that her claws were quickly extending. Before she could even form a response, her gums painfully split and she knew her fangs had descended.

Kennedy lurched forward, tangling in the blankets and nearly sprinted to the bathroom. Immediately she hunched over the sink, gripping the porcelain tight enough that she felt a few small shards break off. She turned on the cold water and splashed her face over and over again. Between splashes she murmured the phrases that she wished she could believe.

"You're fine."

"You'll keep them safe."

"You're in control."

"You won't hurt anybody."

"The pack can't find you."

She wanted to believe what she said, but she still couldn't completely. Her breathing had slowed, but her chest was still heaving. Reaching to the side she patted her face dry with a towel and closed her eyes tightly as she let out a final shaky breath.

When she raised her face and looked at her reflection, glowing red eyes stared back.

* * *

The house was entirely silent when Kennedy woke up. She checked for heartbeats, and found that she was alone. She hadn't fallen asleep until around four in the morning, so she wasn't surprised when she checked her phone and saw that it was two in the afternoon. Sitting up in bed and twisting to each side until her back cracked, she yawned widely and rubbed at her eyes before trudging into the kitchen.

She opened the cabinets and saw that the only cereal was some bran shit and reduced calorie granola. Jesus she needed to immediately buy some actual food. After aimlessly looking through the kitchen, she finally yanked open the fridge and heartily drank half the milk from the carton. She was pretty sure she couldn't get sick anymore so her germs were harmless, and what her mom and Lydia didn't know wouldn't hurt them.

After finding a carton of blueberries in the back of the fridge she ambled back to her room, throwing berries in the air and seeing if she could catch them between her teeth.

It wasn't like she was doom and gloom _all_ of the time, and she had mentally put her meltdown in a tiny box and shoved it into the back of her mind, unwilling to let it rule her day.

The sun was shining, sticky berry juice covered her fingers, and she was going to play Mario Kart until she got carpal tunnel. All in all a pretty good day was ahead of her.

After she finished the carton she quickly washed her hands and changed into a pair of ripped up jeans and a shirt with "Eat More Art" written across it. A smudged line of eyeliner and a few coats of mascara later, she deemed her appearance as good as it was going to get. She then unpacked her clothes, blasting AC/DC and singing along off-key while trying to kill time before meeting up with Stiles.

She had no idea where Lydia was, but she knew Lydia was the head bitch in charge at Beacon Hills High School, so she was probably hanging out with a posse or clique or whatever. Her mom was playing bridge if the calendar hanging on the fridge had been accurate. With the house to herself, she had no idea what to do.

So she settled on watching Law and Order

Just when she was about to find out who the murderer was the doorbell rang. She sprinted to the door and opened it quickly knowing it was Stiles, getting there only moments after he'd rang. Stiles' eyes widened in surprise and he stepped back, pin wheeling his arms as he nearly lost his balance and fell back down the porch stairs. Kennedy reached out, gripping the front of his t-shirt tightly and yanking him inside harshly.

Over calculating the amount of force she'd need, Stiles tripped forward and they both fell to the ground just inside the house, Stiles landing on her heavily. It didn't hurt, so instead of yelping in pain like she probably should have, she laughed loudly and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly while her legs tightened around his hips.

She kissed his cheek with a loud smack and an exaggerated "mwah" before pulling back and seeing a similar smile on Stiles face. A moment later however he coughed awkwardly and slightly grimaced.

"I may or may not pop an involuntary boner right now," he admitted.

Kennedy snorted and shoved him off to the side of her before standing and brushing herself off. After Stiles did the same, they turned to each other and hugged tightly. When they pulled back they did their secret handshake, which meant they high fived then low fived, spun around and knocked their foreheads together, Kennedy taking care to butt heads _incredibly_ carefully.

Stiles looked her up and down before saying, "Dude, I really can't believe you're back."

Shrugging her shoulders, she slipped on a pair of suede boots she'd put next to the door. "Honestly, same here."

They were both quiet for a moment, the silence comfortable, before Stiles gestured outside to the blue jeep she'd missed and announced, "Your carriage awaits."

She couldn't get the smile off her face as she pulled herself into the passenger seat and buckled her seat belt. It didn't matter how rarely they saw each other or that they only talked on the phone once a week or so, she and Stiles had been close since fifth grade and their friendship came easily to them both.

As they pulled out of the driveway Kennedy dug her hands into her pockets and was happy to discover that she had remembered a ten-dollar bill.

"Wendy's?"

Stiles glanced at her with a deadpan look and answered seriously, "Ken, have I ever said no to anything deep fried?"

Adopting a similar serious face, she nodded and replied, "No sir."

The drive to Wendy's was filled with the radio blasting awful songs and the two of them singing the lyrics they knew as loudly and off key as they could. Each ordered a double burger, with Kennedy asking for "not a lot of mustard, ma'am. An _absurd_ amount of mustard" and two fries each with large sodas.

One perk to the whole being-turned-into-a-monster thing was that she could eat whatever she wanted. She used to splurge every once in a while but remain on a strict diet the rest of the time, but now she only stuck to eating healthy out of habit more than anything else.

They decided to wait until they got to Stiles' house before starting to eat, but within two minutes Stiles was slapping Kennedy's hand away as it kept creeping toward her fries. She whined and pleaded but he didn't relent, so as soon as the car pulled into the driveway she vaulted out of the Jeep with the food, rushing to get to the door. Victorious, she threw open the door and ran inside before turning around, meeting Stiles' eyes, and shoving her fist into the air as it held fries while screaming, "HA!"

Stiles' eyes were wide and Kennedy realized that she hadn't held back quite as much as she should have, and to him it would have seemed like she had sprinted fairly fast when she was not a great runner. Thinking quickly, she continued inside and shouted over her shoulder, "C'mon, Buffy waits for no man!"

He followed her in, sufficiently distracted, and they both fell heavily into their chairs. Stiles had already popped in the DVD for season two, so with a touch of a button they began to watch. Four episodes into the show they had already descended into a heated argument.

"You don't get it Ken, Buffy and Angel are freaking soul mates! "

"They're a teenage pipe dream! He turns evil after they bone! What the hell does that tell you? Spike was at least honest about being evil from the beginning."

"Yeah, but he also tried to kill the whole gang multiple times and only turned to the good side out of necessity, he and Buffy should never have gotten together."

They paused for a moment and assessed each other with narrow eyes. Finally, they stuck out their hands and shook once.

"Agree to forever disagree. Now let's go play some Mario Kart, Scott sucks so it's no fun kicking his ass."

Kennedy stood and stretched her arms over her head, groaning loudly. They both gathered up the trash from their fast food and tossed it in the garbage. Kennedy still had Diet Coke left in her cup so she grabbed it and headed for the stairs.

"So do you want to start with the mushroom cup and make our way up to the special cup? I need to get some practice in before I can do rainbow –"

As soon as Stiles pushed open the door to his room and stepped inside, Kennedy froze and stopped talking.

She could smell the trace of a werewolf in Stiles' room.


	3. Chapter 3

Brushing past Stiles, Kennedy shoved him behind her, shielding him with her body as she let the nearly-finished cup of soda fall to the ground. Every nerve ending felt as though it was charged, and she fought to remain in control when every part of her body was screaming _threat threat kill._

Stiles began to squawk as he saw her drop the drink onto the carpet, but Kennedy cut him off immediately.

In a low tone that she tried to keep inquiring instead of frantic she asked, "Stiles, who has been in your room recently? Besides your dad?"

He looked bewildered by her sudden drastic shift in behavior and he spoke slowly and a little bit mockingly as he answered, "Uh, it's pretty much been me and Scott this summer."

His answer did nothing to erase her concern. The werewolf had entered without his knowing. Had one of the wolves from Rhode Island found her? She'd thought it would be impossible, she had done _everything_ she could to erase her tracks and all records of her time with them. If they knew where she was and knew who her friends were, everything was fucked. She had to make sure that everyone she loved stayed safe.

Just when she began to let her methodical planning side take over, she heard the sound of someone approaching the house. She dropped into a defensive stance and looked behind her to Stiles, who remained confused.

In a barely audible whisper she said, "Stiles, don't panic, okay? Just back up. This is going to seem really, really strange or difficult to believe, but I will explain everything later. Just trust me."

His eyes widened in alarm, but he did as she asked. The footsteps of the werewolf drew closer and it seemed as though the werewolf had entered the Stilinski's property. It was too late to close the window now, and the sound of the werewolf's lengthening stride let her know that they planned on jumping through into the bedroom.

Kennedy let her claws emerge but kept her fangs in and didn't flash her eyes. When the dark-clad figure leaped through the opening she gripped their shoulders and slammed them face down against the carpet while they were off balance. A moment later she swung onto their back, knees pressed tightly against their arms and pinning them to the floor, while one hand gripped their hair and pulled their head back and the other hand encircled their neck with claws fully extended, clearly sending the message that she was prepared to kill if need be.

She leaned closer to the intruder and let a growl rip its way out of her throat, causing them to freeze completely. However, before she could deliver any injury Stiles interrupted with a shrill yell.

"Stop! Ken, stop, it's Scott!"

She let her eyes briefly look to the face of the person she had pinned and saw that it was indeed Scott McCall. Her growl ceased, but she didn't let her hold waver as her eyes flicked back to Stiles.

"Stiles, I know this sounds crazy, but I'm not lying," she took a deep breath to steel herself and hoped he would believe her as she said, "Scott is a werewolf."

He was still waving his arms around spastically and didn't look scared or disbelieving or confused like she expected, instead he yelled back, "I know that! But its just Scott, you can let go!"

She let go of Scott's hair and neck and sat back, settling her weight on his lower back as she tried to process what he'd just said. After a beat, she and Scott both spoke up in similar baffled tones.

"Wait, you _know_?"

"Ken is back?"

Stiles waved his hand in the air dismissively and sounded exasperated as he said, "Yes to both of your questions. Ken, can you get off Scott so we can have an almost-human conversation?"

Not really knowing what the hell else she could do, she rolled off him, sheathed her claws, and stood before walking over to Stiles' bed and sitting down.

How the – what the – seriously – the fuck? Stiles knew about werewolves. Scott was one. Goofy, kind, floppy-haired Scott McCall, who she'd had a rivalry with for years over Stiles' attention, was now a werewolf.

Kennedy kept her eyes locked on the floor and took a deep breath before letting it out with a sigh. She had left Rhode Island for this exact reason. To escape the supernatural shit that had ruined her life and nearly destroyed her. Only to find that it had already invaded her home town.

The boys sat on the ground, both looking anxious as the silence stretched out between them and she continued to try to breath through her emotions. Sadness for the fact that her friend's life had changed and he had been dragged into the supernatural world. Bitterness that her 'escape plan' had been futile after all. And rage. Anger had become a large part of her life ever since the boy with a sickeningly sweet smile had pressed her against a wall and bitten into her shoulder with teeth that felt like knives. Sometimes she felt like it was drowning her, and she couldn't control her reactions.

After a minute or two of stressful silence, she looked up and met the gaze of each boy. Scott looked nervous while Stiles looked bored and slightly annoyed.

"So. Scott. How long have you been a wolf?"

He hesitated, looking as though he wasn't sure he could trust her with his answer. He kept glancing at Stiles as though he would tell him what to do, and finally Kennedy let out a snort and snapped a few times, getting his attention.

"I'm sorry for pinning you. I just knew you were a werewolf coming at Stiles. I'm not gonna eviscerate you or anything, so calm down, Balto."

"Oh, uh it's fine. About eight months."

"Damn, you're practically a veteran. I'm a rookie, only a month and a half for me."

Stiles interrupted and sounded annoyed as he narrowed his eyes and demanded, "Yes, yes, we're all glad you're a furry friend, but what the hell? What happened? Were you gonna say anything?"

Glaring at him, she spoke through her teeth when she spat out, "Yes, Stiles, I go around making sure everyone knows I howl at the moon. It's a great conversation starter, breaks the ice just enough to get me out of awkward small talk."

He slumped back a little and spoke much more evenly when he asked, "Really though, what happened? Who turned you?"

Suddenly, all that she had been taught about werewolf culture and customary introductions came slamming back to her. Fuck. She hoped she hadn't already breached the code too badly. Clearly the boys wanted to talk to her, but she planned on surviving, so she had to cut them off before she told them anything accidentally.

"Scott, are you an Omega? Or is there an established pack? I was told that the Hale pack had been wiped out a few years ago."

"I'm sort of an Omega. The Alpha around here is kind of –"

"A douche."

"What Stiles said. So I'm not a part of his pack."

"But he does have a pack?"

Both of the boys shrugged and made hand motions that indicated that there was "sort of" a pack in the area.

"I have to speak with the Alpha of the area, carry out the announcements and all that. Could you tell me his name and where he lives?"

A confused look covered Scott's face and he looked entirely earnest as he innocently said, "What announcements?"

She was actually left sort of baffled and speechless. What the _fuck_ was going on in Beacon Hills? Not only was Scott a werewolf, but it seemed as though he hadn't been taught. And what kind of Alpha bites someone and then allows them to become an Omega while remaining on their territory?

"It means I have to formally ask his permission to stay since I'm not a part of the pack. Otherwise he _technically_ has the right to kill me or force me to leave his territory, even though it's considered old-school. Why weren't you taught all this?"

Stiles started to laugh while Scott pouted and looked offended. Still laughing, Stiles imitated wiping his forehead off before he quieted, but still remained amused looking.

"Basically crazy uncle Peter Hale ran around biting so he could heal after he was all burned alive. Then we thought it was Derek – Derek Hale is the alpha now, by the way – who was the crazy killer, but in the end he was just a dick. The hunters came and Scott was all Romeo and Juliet with their daughter and almost died and Jackson and Lydia were bitten-"

Kennedy almost winced at the sound of her own screech as she involuntarily shouted "WHAT?"

Scott covered his ears and Stiles winced before hurrying to say, "She was immune, she's not a werewolf."

"Not a – okay, keep going. I have no idea how that would happen, but I'll save questions for the end."

"Alright. So Jackson turned into a were-lizard thing called a kanima and started killing people, but it wasn't his choice, he was being mind controlled by this kid Matt – who I totally called being evil on like, day one – because he was pissed about almost drowning. Then grandpa hunter came and killed a bunch of people and then was Jackson's master thing before the power of love made him a werewolf. And crazy Uncle Peter came back from the dead using Lydia, so she was kind of crazy for a little bit."

Panic and concern flooded through her, and Kennedy immediately felt guilty for the glib way she had treated her sister when she'd returned. Her voice shook slightly as she asked, "She's okay now though, right? It didn't – she's alright? And she knows about all this stuff?"

They both nodded enthusiastically and reassured her quickly. Though it wasn't very fair or nice, Kennedy was sort of relieved that Lydia knew, even if it was through a horrible process. She had tried not to let herself hope, but she hadn't been able to completely erase the spark that longed to tell someone what she was, to have someone to talk to. Now she had multiple people to choose from when she wanted to talk, and her twin knew.

Unfortunately, she couldn't really talk to Stiles and Scott about what was going on in detail and her own experience just yet. She'd been told that the Hales were born wolves, and one of the old families, so the Alpha would most likely know about the old customs and procedures when it came to new wolves settling on territory. If she followed them he would hopefully be a bit more lenient and in turn let her stay.

Feeling like a bitch, she grimaced and scratched at the back of her head before saying, "Guys, I know this is a dick move, but I can't really talk to you about this any more tonight. Werewolf procedures and all that crap means I need to talk to the Alpha before interacting with any members of his pack, so I've already kind of fucked that up."

Scott started to interrupt, probably to protest being in Derek's pack, but Kennedy cut him off.

"I know you consider yourself an Omega, but you're still a settled wolf on his territory, so to a degree he probably considers you pack. I'll have to talk to him tomorrow and formally request permission to stay."

Stiles rolled his eyes, crossed his arms, and huffed. "So you're saying you just got back, and now you have to go. Not only abandoning our Mario Kart tournament, but abandoning it for _Derek_?"

Kennedy tried to hide her smile. He was being overdramatic, and it only served to remind her how fun their bickering always was.

Putting on an extra wide smile sarcastically, she practically sang, "That is exactly what I'm saying. Glad you summed it up so nicely."

"You're the worst."

"But you love me anyway."

"Nope. I deny that statement. Hatred is being sent in your direction."

Scott looked a little bit awkward, as if he didn't know how to respond or if he should stay out of the conversation. She didn't blame him; they'd never really clicked. He was kind and open while she was closed off when it came to her real feelings. He was always smiling and she saved her genuine grins for the people she was close to. The only thing they had in common was Stiles, so they remained on good terms, but the most accurate description of their relationship would be "acquaintances".

Pushing herself up off of the bed, she looked at the Nintendo 64 regretfully before turning back to the boys and asking, "Could you give me Derek Hale's address?"

Once it was written down for her on a post-it, she smiled sadly and sighed, "I really am sorry I have to go. I'll see him tomorrow, and depending on the verdict, I'll see ya after I get out of my new school on Tuesday."

Stiles stood and gave her a quick hug before saying, "If he tries to kick you out, I'll glare at him angrily."

Kennedy snorted and threw a look at Scott.

"See you around, too."

He nodded, and she walked out the door. She didn't remember that Stiles had driven her until her boots touched the pavement. Ugh. She now had the stamina and strength to run, but she _hated_ getting all sweaty and gross for not-fun reasons. Picking up a light jog, she ran for a handful of miles before getting impatient and sprinting the rest of the way.

It was only eight when she got back to the house, but her mom was already in her room. Lydia wasn't home yet, and suddenly exhaustion hit Kennedy. Not physical, she felt fine after her run, but mentally she was so done for. She hopped in the shower and rinsed off quickly, finishing up in five minutes. The brush barely made it through her hair and she had to use her old backup toothbrush. Instead of really changing into pajamas, she just pulled a huge t-shirt on, the end of it hitting her knees. Most of her sleeping shirts swamped her five foot frame, and Lydia always shuddered in disgust when she saw them, preferring satin and lace.

Pulling herself under the covers, Kennedy grabbed a book from her side table, one that detailed ancient Greek mythology. She'd always had a dark sense of humor, so yes, the irony had hit her already that her interest in mythology was a sort of foreshadowing what with her becoming a mythological creature herself.

After about two hours of reading, she tossed the book to the floor and set an alarm on her phone to wake her up at ten. Before meeting the Alpha of the Hale pack she wanted to be well rested and to have some time in the morning to sort out what she would say, then she'd head over a little after noon.

As she drifted off, she wondered if she hadn't really escaped, and instead only transferred from one hell to another.


	4. Chapter 4

She was going to kill that fucking dog.

She woke up at seven AM to the sound of Lydia's dog Prada yapping like someone had lit its tale on fire. Grumbling, she strode to the door and opened it to see the thing scratching against it on the other side, probably wanting food. Well, that wasn't her job, so that _thing_ needed to chill the hell out. How the fuck was this long-haired vermin a descendant of a fucking _wolf_?

Her eyes lit up an eerie crimson and her fangs descended. Squatting down to the dog's level she let out a low, echoing growl.

It ran faster than she'd ever seen it move. Thank god. She needed sleep. She was seeing the alpha of the Hale pack today and starting junior year the day after that. Well. Hopefully. If the alpha allowed her to stay, that is.

Kennedy made it back to her bed, intending to get in a few more hours of sleep. However, stress and the sun streaming through her curtains kept her up. Stuck in that awful limbo of trying to sleep and nearly getting there, she tossed and turned for hours. By the time her alarm went off, she was in an awful mood.

Stumbling out from her covers and nearly tripping, she walked over to her dresser to pick out today's clothing. She really wished she had known that there was a pack in Beacon Hills before she'd packed her duffel. She could have worn a dress or a skirt or a cardigan – something that would make her appear unthreatening. Instead, she pulled on a pair of plain black leggings and a argyle patterned oversized sweater. She added a pair of fluffy socks and then stuffed her feet into her boots so they would be hidden. The only makeup she had packed was some mascara, eyeliner, and chapstick, so getting ready was quick and easy, especially since her hair was thrown into a messy bun. Not even the sort of 'messy bun' that looked effortlessly pretty and endearing – hers actually looked disorganized and unattractive with random baby hairs sticking out. _Yay_.

When she entered the kitchen, Lydia was already sitting at the breakfast table looking impeccable without a hair out of place, eating granola with one hand while texting with the other. On hearing Kennedy entering the room, she looked up and her features twisted into a look of dismay.

"Kennedy. We are related. I already have to deal with your preference of going by a traditionally male name. I can't be associated with someone who dresses in _that._ I'll even let you borrow some of my old clothes. Just – please change out of those rags if you're going in public."

Raising her eyebrows, Kennedy held up two fingers before putting them down accordingly as said in an incredulous tone, "One, we aren't even going to be at the same school, you won't be associated with me. Two, your middle name is Roosevelt – we were both saddled with bizarrely political names, be fucking glad yours was only your middle name. And Twinny, what is the probability of any of your clothes fitting me?"

Kennedy vaguely gestured to Lydia and then herself. The two girls were polar opposites physically in nearly every way. It was hard to even tell they were related, much less fraternal twins. While Lydia had red hair and green eyes, Kennedy had dark brown hair, was intensely freckled, and had hazel eyes. While Lydia was lithe, Kennedy's body was much more pear shaped – small ribcage and waist with wider hips and a significantly larger ass. Additionally, Lydia was absurdly beautiful. And Kennedy was – well – not.

It wasn't something that bothered her, she knew she was 'cute' or maybe even 'pretty', but she wasn't ever going to be the girl that made a whole room do a double take. However, now that she was trying to keep a low profile, she loved this more than ever before. And that was saying something, because she had been beside her twin when Lydia had gotten breasts early and had grown men started staring at her. It was something Kennedy hadn't had to deal with – she _still_ looked younger than her actual age, and at seventeen her boobs had stopped growing. Yay, A-Cups. But when those men cat-called Lydia in grade school or looked too long, Kennedy had put her preteen martial-arts lessons to work and quickly hit them where it hurt. Even though rationally she knew she was only fourteen minutes older than Lydia, she'd taken the 'older sibling' status seriously.

"Besides, I'm not really doing anything today. I won't see any of your friends or be in any public forum that would embarrass you, baby sis."

Lydia nodded, surprisingly not looking annoyed with the jab - usually she protested seeing as Kennedy was barely older - and looked back to her phone, resuming eating her breakfast. Kennedy smiled a little bit to herself as she opened the fridge. She and Lydia weren't super close. They loved each other, sure, but sometimes they didn't _like_ each other. Even if they were bickering, she was happy to be around her again. Seeing Lydia, heart beating and irritating as ever, was a relief.

Lydia was alive, and that was all that mattered, what kept her from drowning in the guilt and self-hatred she would have been fully submerged in otherwise because of the choices she'd been forced to make the last month and a half. Kennedy had decided right off the bat not to bring up the supernatural with Lydia right away. She wasn't going to leave her sister in the dark or anything as far as werewolves, but she also didn't want to ruin this somewhat-acceptance she currently seemed to have towards Kennedy. Being dragged into the supernatural after being mauled and then having your mind twisted up had to have left scars on Lydia that Kennedy couldn't even imagine. Although in the last month and a half she'd acquired her own psychological scars. But that _didn't_ mean she could unload her problems onto her sister just because Lydia now knew about the supernatural. For now, Kennedy would keep her status as an Alpha from _everyone_. Being a second Alpha in claimed territory would... well, basically be a complete clusterfuck.

Just as she sat down, Lydia rose and put her dishes in the sink.

"I'm going to do some major retail therapy with my friend Allison, and I'll be back pretty late, I've got a date."

"Got it. See you later, Twinny. Oh, and text me to let me know to put on headphones if your man candy stays over."

With a roll of her eyes Lydia strode out and hopped in her car before peeling away. Honestly, it was a fair request. Lydia was a screamer, and with her enhanced hearing Kennedy _really_ didn't want to have surround-sound access to her sister's sex life.

Not having much to do and trying to suppress her worry, Kennedy sat in front of the TV with a massive bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, flipping through channels before settling on a Shark Week rerun. When noon finally came around and she knew way too much about Megaladon, Kennedy went on MapQuest and found the fastest route to the loft's address Stiles had given her last night. Obviously avoiding the roads, Kennedy began her run to the building.

While running, she kept replaying scenarios in her head. The faceless guy killing her where she stood. Forcing her to leave. Every worry she tried to forget was on a loop, flashing before here in a sick cycle, building up her fear until she was nearly terrified. When she reached the door, she stood outside for a full three minutes, willing her limbs to move but unable to reach for the handle.

God damn it. She was a motherfucking _Alpha werewolf_. Even if it wasn't a fact she'd be sharing with anyone anytime soon, it still should have made her more brave. Alas, she was a Slytherin at heart, and would always run away from danger if it was in her best interest.

Just when she had convinced herself to move and began to step forward, the door was wrenched open. The man who stood in front of her was glaring down at her. His black hair and five o'clock shadow made him look menacing on the surface, but Kennedy had learned recently that the pretty boys could be evil and the scary looking could be saviors.

"What do you want."

It didn't sound like a question. It was like he was hoping she would squeak before hauling ass out of there.

Trying to be as polite as possible she stuck out her hand for a handshake, saying in a light voice, "Hi, I'm Ken, I wanted to speak with you."

He didn't accept her handshake, making her slowly lower it with embarrassment before he raised an eyebrow and – holy crap his _eyebrows_ – said in a monotone, "Why do you need to speak with me."

Alright, it was now or never. Rushing so that her words almost blended together she muttered, "I wanted to speak to you as the Alpha of the Hale pack and request formal permission to stay on your territory as an Omega."

She wasn't expecting the hand gripping the front of her sweater as she was nearly thrown inside.

He pressed her against the wall, body pinning hers as his forearm pressed against her neck just a fraction less than the force needed to strangle her. It was decidedly less sexy being manhandled than movies made it seem. The last time a guy held her against a wall she had wound up unconscious with a set of teeth ripping into her shoulder followed by the worst month and a half of her life. Kennedy wanted _nothing more_ than to flash her eyes and attack the man for daring to threaten her without just cause, but a second later she acknowledged that yeah, it was her instincts were acting up, so she surpassed it as best she could.

Hale's eyes glowed red and his fangs were fully extended as he growled, "Who sent you?"

She panicked. In her panic her verbal filter vanished entirel and she frantically began babbling hoarsely through her constricted throat while clawing with human fingernails at his arm.

"Oh holy fuck shit please don't kill me Stiles told me you were the local Alpha."

His fangs retracted and his eyes narrowed, seeming to assess her. In her sweater, leggings, and five-foot stature, she _really_ hoped he would assume she was a weakling. Without pause she lifted her head up and to the side, baring her throat and showing him she would submit, even though _every_ instinct went against the deception. With a sigh that seemed annoyed he dropped her to the ground, watching impassively as she fell to her knees and clutched her throat, gasping.

"Alright. I'll give you one chance to explain yourself."

She nodded frantically and attempted to keep her voice even as she recited the story she had been practicing.

"I used to live here before I left for school and started living across the country. After I was turned I wanted to come back. I didn't know that there were wolves here anymore, so when Scott and Stiles told me there were I came here to ask permission to stay as an Omega. I don't intend to cause any trouble."

Her heartbeat didn't falter, because she wasn't technically lying about anything. Sure, she was stretching the truth to an insane degree, but all that she said was comprised of half-truths.

He looked less scary after she spoke, and wore a blank face instead of the angry one that scared the shit out of her.

"How do you know Stiles and Scott? And why did you come back?"

"Stiles has been my friend since we were kids, and Scott is his friend, ergo I associate with Scott and accidentally attacked him when I thought a werewolf was coming to attack Stiles. I came back because my family is here."

The alpha continued to scrutinize her face before closing his eyes and letting out a heavy sigh, acting like she was purposely trying to annoy him. But he nodded to himself and met her eyes, saying, "You can stay for now. But if you do anything, and I mean anything, to hurt my pack or anyone in this town I'll let the hunters take you out."

The threat sounded genuine, however he didn't seem like he was eager or enthused at all really by the prospect of that happening. He didn't strike her as a cruel man, instead he came off as grumpy, closed off, irritated, protective – a lot like herself actually when it came to family.

Huh.

Trying not to look weaker than she had already acted, she nodded and tried to convey her gratitude as she replied, "Thank you Alpha Hale, I won't step out of line."

When she turned to leave, a voice from the back of the room she had only very vaguely noted suddenly asked in a slightly mocking and amused tone, "Care to explain why your scent is undetectable?"

She froze. _Fuck fuck fuck._ She had really been thinking the alpha wouldn't notice, and she turned back around slowly. Another man stepped forward from the shadowed staircase in the opposite corner of the room. Kennedy warily stared back before reluctantly lifting her left arm and gesturing to the lone bracelet that adorned her wrist.

"I have a bracelet. It's um, magic I think. Probably made by an emissary at some point. It makes me harder to smell, but it also means I can't really smell very much at all at the same time when I wear it."

Derek's expression returned to its previous suspicion as he said, "And why would you need something that obscures your scent?"

Deciding to tell an abbreviated version of the truth she shrugged and answered, "I'm not in a pack. Omegas are not exactly known for extended life spans. If I can't be smelled I'm much less likely to be attacked."

From the back of the room the man smiled slightly, but it seemed anything but friendly. He radiated something sinister, and he gave her major creeps.

"I've only ever seen those bracelets on members of the McNeill pack," he raised an eyebrow and continued in a casual tone, "maybe you've heard of them, they're settled in Providence, Rhode Island?"

 _Fear. Horror. Blood. Run. RUN._


	5. Chapter 5

While staring at the stranger in the loft, it was only Kennedy hammering into her own head the thought of Lydia and her mother, her anchors, that kept her from shifting and running to Nova fucking Scotia that very moment. This guy knew something. It wasn't curiosity that drove his question. It was a statement, letting her know that he knew something was off. His next comment confirmed her suspicions.

"A shame what happened to them."

She struggled but managed to maintain an air of indifference as she shrugged and avoided his comment when she replied, "Yeah, I've obviously heard of the McNeill pack. But the bracelets are all over the East Coast, not narrowed down to a single pack."

Derek didn't seem to remain overly concerned and thankfully didn't follow up on the man's comment, he just gestured to her hand and said, "Mind taking it off?"

Kennedy didn't really see the harm that it could do. It might even be better, catching the Alpha's scent and whoever it was standing behind him now so she could mentally catalogue it for whenever she wasn't wearing it later down the line.

"Sure, no problem."

However, the second the beaded bracelet left her skin it was _very much a problem._

It hit her out of nowhere. She smelled something amazing. Just like how hot chocolate made her think of her mom and Chanel perfume made her think of Lydia, this triggered a strange feeling of association to something she hadn't encountered. It was just - she didn't know how to describe it - it was something she had to _have._

She lifted her nose to the air and took a huge lungful, striding back into the center of the apartment on instinct and a desire to find it - whatever the source of that scent was. She whipped her head around, but the scent didn't seem to be emanating from any particular source, it was just in the air.

In an awestruck voice she heard herself asked unthinkingly, "What's that smell? Are you cooking something?"

Derek looked incredulous and the man behind him smiled widely and laughed suddenly, breaking her out of her daze as he loudly said, "Well this will be entertaining to see unfold."

In an instant she came back to herself. Shaking her head, she felt confused and a little bit scared. What had just happened? Was it a spell or something? She had never felt like that in her life. The smell was still around her but its intensity had faded, and was now something simply pleasant instead of something she was intoxicated by.

With a slightly wary voice she said, "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

The alpha raised an eyebrow and handed the bracelet back to her, giving her immense relief when it was once again secured around her wrist.

She nodded once more in a wordless goodbye as he motioned for the door. However, at the last second something made her hesitate. She turned back and eyed the man who had made her skin crawl more than anything else had for a while.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

He smiled charmingly and seemed to transition into another person as he said, "I didn't say it. I'm Peter Hale."

She didn't respond to him in any way, simply turned back to Derek and asked in a nonchalant voice, "Are you two close?"

Peter seemed amused by Derek's immediate flat response of, "No."

Kennedy walked evenly back into the center of the room as she said, "Oh, I remember. Stiles said you raised yourself from the dead, right? That's amazing, but it must be awful to be so weakened right now."

His charming smile vanished and he replied tightly, "Well, I won't be weak for much longer."

She strode up to him with her arms crossed behind her back, not allowing him to see that her claws were fully extended. Without warning she shoved him back against the wall easily, baring her fangs and pressing on his throat tightly.

Derek hadn't interceded yet, so she figured he probably wouldn't step in now.

In a quiet, even tone she leaned in and whispered, "I heard it took quite a bit of preparation to resurrect you. You used a girl and nearly drove her insane with the way you invaded her brain."

She released his throat and stepped back, before swiftly kneeing him _hard_ in the crotch. As he wheezed and bent over, she crouched down to look him in the eyes so he would understand she was entirely serious when she said, "If you ever hurt or even _look_ at my sister again, I will kill you. Chop you into pieces and burn each one in a different fire place. Do we understand each other?"

He nodded grudgingly, and she stepped back, standing before turning to Derek, who looked incredibly entertained and whose lips twitched as he seemed to try to repress a smile at the violence shown towards his uncle.

"Thank you again for allowing me to stay."

She nearly ran for the door, and just as she shut it she heard Peter say in a strangely appreciative tone, "Now that one is going to make things interesting."

* * *

"You _WHAT!?_ "

Kennedy cringed but tried to look composed. Giving up quickly, she raised her arms and did weak jazz hands before saying in a small voice, "Surprise?"

Lydia glared at her before sighing in an exasperated fashion and reaching up to pick the bridge of her nose.

"Why is it that everyone I know is a fairytale creature."

Kennedy shrugged before walking over to Lydia's bed and hopping on top of it, crossing her legs and shifting around to get comfortable.

"I don't know about everyone else, but I got bitten by a guy with fangs and then _wham_. Howling at the moon once a month."

Lydia snorted and settled down next to Kennedy on the bed, already pulling out her phone while muttering, "And just when I thought I could have some portion of normality at home. Allison will-"

Kennedy squawked indignantly and slapped the phone out of her hand and on to the bedspread.

"You can't just _tell everyone!_ I mean, a few people know but-"

"Scott will have told Allison about a second after he found out. She was probably waiting until you told me yourself."

Kennedy considered that, trying to figure out how she felt about that. Being a werewolf was something she had thought she could hide when she came back to Beacon Hills. Everyone around her _knowing_ made her feel on edge. It was her secret, and it made her incredibly antsy and caught off guard that now it was apparently fucking public knowledge. Letting out a groan, Kennedy let herself fall back against Lydia's pillows, ignoring the small sound of dissatisfaction that her sister made in response.

Closing her eyes, Kennedy knew she sounded whiny when she said, "I didn't _want_ this supernatural extravaganza. I was just going to do my own thing. And I'm not joining the stupid pack in town."

At that, Lydia nudged her leg, forcing Kennedy to look at her.

"Stiles is a part of that pack. And I'm... adjacent. You really wouldn't want to be involved?"

Kennedy tried to figure out the emotion she could hear in Lydia's tone of voice. Her bracelet meant that she couldn't smell very well, and she had never gotten a hang of the whole smelling-emotion thing anyway, so she had to rely on her knowledge regarding her twin. The best word she could assign to it was - nervous, or maybe worried.

"I can join up if you want me to. I mean, if its really what you want."

Lydia immediately shook her head, speaking a little bit frantically when she said, "No, no! I don't. Not that - ugh. Enough people are constantly in danger. It... I don't want to have to worry about you, too."

Kennedy softened at that, sitting back up and pulling Lydia into a rare hug. The two of them weren't really touchy-feely, but it was nice to know that Lydia didn't hate her for being a werewolf, which had been a real concern of hers after finding out that werewolves had hurt Lydia in the past.

Kennedy was going to keep Lydia safe. No matter what. And if that meant someday she would have to butt in to this stupid pack of teenagers, she'd make herself do it.


End file.
